Moth-Butt lookalikes

[Commander]

There are quite a few species of moths which resemble butterflies for protection and vice versa, but this species of the Cyclosia genus is a very good mimic of the Red Base Jezebel and Malayan Jezebel.

I've only seen this species Cyclosia pieroides (http://jpmoth.org/~dmoth/Digital_Moths_of_Asia/47_Zygaenidae/47_1%20Chalcosiinae/27_Cyclosia/Cyclosia%20pieroides/Cyclosia%20pieroides.htm) once back in Penang, and I was totally fooled into thinking that it was a Malayan Jezebel. :sweat:

[Painted Jezebel]

I had heard of this Delias lookalike, but never managed to see any pics. The underside is a very good copy indeed of certain subspecies of Delias pasithoe or Delias henningia pandemia (if searching in Sabah/Sarawak).

Fortunately, the upperside should never be confused with the males of those butts, and it would only take a short time to realise that the female uppersides differ around the bases of both wings (much darkened in the Delias).

Visit my website below for pics (Go to Groups - Group 15 (Pasithoe Group))

[Common Mime]

Moth can be as colorful...

[atronox]

Wow, their such good mimics of delias pasithoe. Is the butt actually poisonous? The foodplant only contains some oils.